THE Archdiocese of Tagum acknowledged the communication from the Simbahang Catolico Pilipino-Missionaries and clarified the advisory it issued earlier. In its rectification, the Archdiocese stated: “They are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagum. They are not priests of the Catholic Church, nor are they claiming or pretending to be priests of the Church.”
It reiterated, however, that the Catholic Church does not authorize any public solicitation in terminals, streets, or other public places in its name.
“We continue to encourage everyone to exercise prudence and discernment when approached for donations by individuals claiming religious affiliation,” the church said in a statement.
Earlier, the Archdiocese of Tagum warned residents about individuals posing as priests, seminarians, and altar servers to solicit donations, saying they are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.
In a statement on March 8, 2026, the Archdiocese said, “The Diocese has not authorized any priests, seminarians, altar servers, or church personnel to conduct solicitation or fundraising activities in public places such as terminals, streets, or other similar areas.”
Church officials said reports came in of people approaching stores, passengers, and bystanders at the Tagum Overland Transport Integrated Terminal around 4 p.m. to ask for financial assistance.
The Archdiocese urged the public to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of anyone claiming to represent the Church.
Legitimate fundraising or charitable activities are coordinated through parishes and officially announced by the Diocese.
“We kindly ask everyone to help spread this advisory so that more members of the community may be informed and guided accordingly,” the statement read.
Residents were advised to refrain from giving donations to suspicious solicitors and report incidents to authorities or the Archdiocese.
The City Government of Tagum echoed the warning in a Facebook post, calling on residents to remain vigilant and report individuals claiming to be Church personnel.
In response, the Simbahang Catolico Pilipino-Missionaries, an independent Catholic Church, denied the accusations.
In a comment on the Archdiocese’s post, the group said they are not scammers and do not use the Roman Catholic Church’s name.
“Manghinaot mi nga aduna kamoy hugot nga basehan para tawagon mi ug mga scammer, paila ramu nga wala moy respito sa amoa nga anaa sa mga independent Catholic church (We hope that you have a strong basis for calling us scammers; otherwise, you are only showing no respect for those of us who belong to the Independent Catholic Church),” the group said.
The group also said the public advisory amounted to public shaming of a small church and stressed that independent churches across the Davao Region deserve recognition and respect. RGP